Don’t Take It Personally

Many times in life we hear things that we don’t like or we get advice we sometimes do not want or ask for, it happens and sometimes we don’t like it other times we take it with a grain of salt and move on. However in business we sometimes take things very personal, we may lose clients and wonder “ Why did they leave? Did I do something wrong?” and you take them leaving personally, here is the kicker ( and I really should listen to my own advice sometimes) you did not do anything wrong, you can do everything right and never miss a meeting or miss a report and clients will still choose to go else where, it happens all the time. The main thing is to not take it to heart. Taking something like business to heart can not only affect your performance but it could also affect those around you. In this article I will go over a few topics that can help in the business field when it comes to dealing with criticism as well as losing a client you have had for a while.

Criticism:

Now let’s be honest nobody likes to be criticized by anyone it’s just human nature to get defensive with things like that, but let’s be honest sometimes it’s needed. We need that criticism sometimes to give us that extra motivation to close that deal or add a little more fire to our day. It’s a great thing to have especially when you are in a sales position, I can not begin to tell you how many times I have had clients as well as employers critique my work and at first you feel a little offended because in your mind you have been doing a killer job and don’t think anything is wrong with what you are doing but you have to understand they are not telling you this to discourage you they are telling you this because they see potential in you and want you to succeed. This is one thing that will separate you from someone who wants to grow and prosper in your career and someone who wants to remain in the same place for a while and not grow with the company because let’s face it companies grow and with that growth they want their employees to grow with the company. Be understanding and open minded with your boss as well as your peers and you will be able to grow into a better and wiser employee.

The Bad Seed:

I really don’t like discussing negative people in these articles but let’s face it we all know of one or two bad seeds that are in some companies. These people are the ones who have been with the company for years and years and have not gone anywhere because they have either not been able to keep up with the company’s growth or they simply just don’t care. These people will try at all costs to discourage and eliminate any desire you may have to succeed within the company. You will hear a lot of “ don’t waste your time trying to move up because they won’t move you anywhere” or “ why work hard for someone who isn’t paying you what your worth?” this is the proper response to both questions “ It is my JOB to work hard and do the best I can every time I walk into this building” they will say these things to discourage and discredit your hard work and also the company’s moral values. If you are ever faced with a coworker with this type of attitude do not treat them any different than the others because even though they have a poor attitude that attitude can be altered by the right person with the right attitude. So don’t be quick to push them aside just yet. Take it as a challenge to turn their negative outlook on the job into a positive one, maybe they are the way there are is because nobody tried to help them grow or they did not know how too. Remember any person can change the outlook of another by simply listening or showing interest in their growth.

When Will It Ever Be Enough?:

Often times we go to work and we put everything we have into our performance and we feel like it is not enough or we are not being recognized for what we are doing. You are working so hard at trying to impress the boss, win a client, earn a pay raise or get that promotion but you struggle with the feeling of hopelessness that you are not being seen for it by your superiors and in turn you take it personal that you are working so hard and putting in all of this effort to only not have it seen. In a situation like this it is ok to feel the things you are feeling but to think your hard work is not recognized is ridiculous, you must understand that managers, directors, supervisors and CEO’s are working around the clock to keep the company rolling smoothly. Not only do they have the responsibilities of running the business and protecting its interest but they also have the employees to look out for. They are not ignoring or disregarding your hard work and like any boss they will see it and recognize it in the end. Be patient with them and understand what position they are in before you get discouraged.

The One That Got Away:

In business you have clients, small or big they are yours. You form a bond with them and often times even a close friendship. They become family at that point and you think “ They will be with me forever”. Well sometimes that is not always the case. Like families do, clients can decide to move away and go somewhere else. Yes it hurts and you do everything in your power to keep them with you but it is just not going to happen. You rack your brain to see if there was anything you did wrong or said, did you forget to send a report, return an email or phone call, forgot a birthday? Who knows? All you do know is that you did not want them to leave but alas they did. As you sit there and ponder why they left the one thing that is not going through your mind is “ they left because they had too not because you did anything wrong” like family they move away for better opportunities and to test themselves elsewhere. You may not like it but it has to be done. More often than not they will eventually come back to you for the mere reason of they did not form the same bond as the new company as they did with you or the other company just ended up not working out for them. Point is don’t fret and work yourself up over it, know you had a great relationship with them and you worked hard for them and in the end they will always remember you and how well your company treated them.

I hope this article can shed some light on a few things that may have caused you any issues in your career as well as your position with a company, remember criticism is not always a bad thing and in the end it could end up being a very good thing and to use it to motivate and grow.